He is from England and is known for expansive land sculpting projects - sinuous waterways that meander through pastoral countrysides, stepped hillsides that sometimes double as grassed amphitheaters, and mounds with paths that spiral to the top.

Wilkie was the speaker yesterday at the New York Botanical Garden's 14th Annual Winter Lecture Series. This thought provoking series features exceptional speakers that share their insights on "the emotional value of designing gardens that reflect personal passions and aspirations." How could I not go to something described like that? I am a partial to the anything to do with 'the emotional value of designing gardens.'

And anyway, when I saw it was Kim Wilkie I signed up immediately. He is one-of-a-kind which was amply demonstrated in his illustrated talk, 'Sculpting the Land'. It accompanies his fabulous and informative coffee table …

There Is Pleasure In The Pathless Woodsfrom Childe Harold, Canto iv, Verse 178 by Lord Byron
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is society, where none intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.

"Today we survey and inventory a site's assets, then speak even more aggressively of "environmental impacts." Mother Nature is to be mugged, it seems, and we cold-bloodedly analyze the old lady's chances of surviving the blows."

from 'The Poetics of Gardens' by Charles W.Moore, William J. Mitchell, William Turnbull, Jr. (1993)

Pow. Straight to the gut. Landscape designers take heed! From now on, when they say, 'inventory the site's assets' to you, flinch a little - the old lady is on the ropes and we must help her up.

The wisdom of a flower - the first four lines floor me. Heaven is a Garden for sure. Jan Johnsen Song of the Flower XXIII
by Khalil Gibran

I am a kind word uttered and repeated
By the voice of Nature;
I am a star fallen from the
Blue tent upon the green carpet.
I am the daughter of the elements
With whom Winter conceived;
To whom Spring gave birth; I was
Reared in the lap of Summer and I
Slept in the bed of Autumn.

At dawn I unite with the breezeTo announce the coming of light;At eventide I join the birdsIn bidding the light farewell.

The plains are decorated withMy beautiful colors, and the airIs scented with my fragrance.

As I embrace Slumber the eyes ofNight watch over me, and as IAwaken I stare at the sun, which isThe only eye of the day.

I drink dew for wine, and hearken toThe voices of the birds, and danceTo the rhythmic swaying of the grass.

I am the lover's gift; I am the wedding wreath;I am the memory of a moment of happiness;I am the last gift of the livi…

Leicester Park in London has been redesigned to provide Londoners and visitors alike a lovely urban park to enjoy.

It is known for hosting film festivals and premieres in the heart of the city. They stage over 50 film premières every year as well as a number of other large scale events and the park attracts approximately two million visitors each week!

So this redesign was aimed to make the park a truly outstanding public gathering space.

Along the perimeter of the square there is a curvilinear white granite ribbon bench where people stop and enjoy the setting. Its organic shape brings ‘inside’ and 'outside’ together and this soft transition of the edge is helped by the mirrored stainless steel railings.

The new gates and railings were manufactured by Midas Technologies Ltd. The panel sheets were pre-polished and cut to desired specifications then were hand-polished to mirror-finish prior to installation.

The design is by Burns + Nice. The overall design is very exciting and th…

This Hummingbird Heath™ is loaded with nectar. It is a Cape Heath from South Africa and is only hardy to 28 degrees F! This is a small, heavy flowering shrub that grows tall to 3' high x 2' wide. It is spectacular in bloom with long, crimson tubular flowers appearing March-May. The new growth is golden. Needs acid soil mix. Very rare. Available from www.heathernursery.com

What blooms earlier than forsythia, has a delicate fragrance and is an easy-to-care for compact delight ? That is also hardy to USDA Zones 6-9 and native to Japan and Taiwan?Buttercup winterhazel(Corylopsis pauciflora)

Toward mid April (depending where you live), the bare branches of buttercup winterhazel hang with inch-long clusters of soft yellow flowers that appear as little lanterns. The fragrance is noticeable, making it perfect near a sitting spot. It was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (AGM) in 1993.

Winterhazel is good in a small city garden or as a woodland underplanting in open shade. It glows in front of evergreens and is a perfect pairing with purpleRhododendron mucronulatum since they flower at the exact same time. And winterhazels look wonderful with snowdrops and hellebores!

As the flowers fade, the leaves unfurl to 3 inches long, bright green with red edges before darkening to rich green. In fall they turn a gold-bronze.

Hello! Serenity in the Garden is for anyone who loves the green world and its glories - I share all things 'garden'- flowers, plants, products, designers, techniques and more. The posts are inspiring and informative and are based on my 40 years in the landscape profession.

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